Over the TOP Christmas Challenge

Pattern Revolution has challenged seamstresses to create an over the top holiday garment.  So of course I must sew a dress for my daughter for Christmas.  She wanted to feel like a 'real lady' when she wears the dress, and in her eyes I've accomplished exactly that, so I'm already a winner!  So without further ado I give you Annabelle's 2014 Christmas dress!

This dress was created using 2 patterns available from FooFoo Threads.
*All photos on this blog remain the sole property of Sarah Sawatzki and may not be used by any person, business, or other entity without express written consent.

Homemade Strawberry Jam

It's June and that means strawberry season here in Eastern Washington!!  On Saturday Andrew and I braved the rain and went out to Carver Farms to pick strawberries!  We were soaked by the time we were done but it only took us 20 minutes to pick 4 buckets of berries.  One of the most favorite fruits in my household for eating fresh and making jam.  I make enough strawberry freezer jam during a week or two in June to last my family all year, it's a lot of work but totally worth it.  Want to know how I do it?

First let's talk about the ingredients.  Strawberries!  Berries should be ripe, firm, and a nice red color, I prefer to use fresh strawberries but frozen will work as well.  Sugar, granulated white sugar, whatever brand you choose.  Fruit pectin occurs naturally in fruits and is used for gelling, pectin occurs in very small amounts in strawberries, you therefore need to add some in order for your jam to set up.  You have to cook some pectin, be careful when cooking pectin it can be over cooked very easily and your jam won't set up (which is probably okay, you'll just end up with more of a chunky syrup.)  I've also found some no-cook pectin, eliminating the cooking step!  Or so I thought, turns out the no-cook pectin didn't help my jam set up very well.



You cannot double this recipe, it just doesn't work, your jam won't set up.  But that's okay, I've found a way around that, I didn't have all week to be making jam, so I made 3 batches at a time.  Using 3 separate bowls with a single recipe in each bowl, I was able to complete 3 batches of jam all at the same time.  Okay, I think that's about it, it's pretty simple.

Sarah's Strawberry Freezer Jam

4 Cups fresh, ripe, red berries, sliced in half
4 Cups Sugar
1 packet fruit pectin

Crush strawberries, I have done this 2 ways, using my potato masher and crushing them by hand or chopping them in the food processor.  The food processor is by far faster, and saves my hand from the strain.

Stir in sugar and allow to sit for about 20 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved.  Stirring every few minutes.

Prepare the fruit pectin according to package directions and slowly stir into the strawberry slurry.  

Ladle the slurry into freezer safe containers (I like to save margarine containers for things like this).  Set your jam in the fridge for a few hours to allow it to set up, then transfer to the freezer.

This method yields about 6 cups of jam.

We picked about 20lbs of berries and I did 11 batches of jam and we age quite a lot besides that!

Summer Reading List 2014

With the unofficial start of summer behind us it's time to make our summer reading list.  Annabelle turns 5 at the end of June and is already reading!  We are going to participate in some of the activities offered by our local library district through their summer reading program, this summer's theme is Fizz Boom Read.

We'll of course visit our local library several times throughout the summer and borrow early reader books and children's books to read with and to Annabelle.  Along with those I am going to start reading chapter books with Annabelle, we've just finished our first chapter book, "Ivy & Bean Break the Fossil Record" book 3 in the Ivy and Bean series by Annie Barrows.  Annabelle really liked Ivy and Bean, so I suspect we'll be reading more of the books in this series and I found one called The Never Girls that we want to read about a group of friends who accidentally end up in Neverland.

But I also want to introduce her to some old favorites:  the Ramona Series by Beverly Cleary, Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers, Matilda by Rolad Dahl, and Charlotte's Webb by E.B. White.  I'm also excited to start reading the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder with Annabelle, but I think that series will have to wait a little while longer.

Then I found a list of books for young girls on Imagination Soup, more books we're going to have to check out!

My personal reading list included a couple of books by Philippa Gregory, an excellent historical fiction author. I'm currently reading "The White Princess" and due out later this summer is "The King's Curse."  Each of Philippa Gregory's books follows a woman's perspective through some of the most notable events in English history.

What's on your summer reading list?